


ocean's brawl

by mozartspiano



Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Ballet, Enemies to Lovers, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-30
Updated: 2018-12-30
Packaged: 2019-09-30 11:01:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,325
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17222792
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mozartspiano/pseuds/mozartspiano
Summary: Today is Thursday and Thursday means it is the day Mitch gets the role of his goddamn dreams.a swan lake!au kind of





	ocean's brawl

**Author's Note:**

> title from coeur de pirate.
> 
> idk anything about ballet or dance. apologies to matthew bourne's swan lake which has gently and lovingly been taken by me and given to kyle dubas.

Today is Thursday and Thursday means it is the day Mitch gets the role of his goddamn dreams.

"Do you think I should legally change my name to Odette?" he asks Auston who is eighty-four percent asleep and also blowing drool bubbles into their newly washed pillow cases. "Or do you think it's too soon?"

"Follow your dreams," Auston says, blinking his hazy eyes open one at a time.

"It's such a romantic tale," Mitch continues. "Not like that piece from last season."

"It was abstract," Auston says. "I liked it."

"You have terrible taste," Mitch says. "I love romance. I'm so good at romance. They would have to be blindfolded to not see how good I am at romance."

"Mmmm," Auston says.

Mitch pokes him in the nose. “Do you recall our own torrid romance?”

“You mean when you got drunk at a Christmas party and called me to tell me that despite my blocky head you would like to kiss me anyhow.”

“Babe,” Mitch says. He places his hands on either side of Auston’s head. “It’s just so square.”

“Uh huh.”

“Like - you remember that one guy from LMFAO?”

Auston doesn’t even blink. “Uh huh.”

“The one dude with the box on his head,” Mitch says and then, clarifying: “That’s you. Because your head is like a box.”

“I’m gonna shower.”

“What I’m saying,” Mitch says, trailing after Auston into the bathroom. He brings their throw with him so he can wrap it around his shoulders like Joffrey. “What - babe, are you listening?”

Auston’s voice is muddled over the hum of the shower, “Yeah.”

“Our love is so pure and good,” Mitch calls. He hops himself onto the counter. “They couldn’t not cast us together. It would be a crime.”

“We have chemistry.”

“Exactly.”

Auston sticks his head out of the shower. His hair looks like a mop. “We got this.”

 

Babs is putting the cast list up when they get in.

“You excited?” Brownie asks them as they pretend to stretch. “It feels like auditions went on forever.”

“Mhm.” How long does it take to put a few thumbtacks into a cork board anyhow? Mitch tries to squint and read the list from over Connor’s shoulder.

“I just don’t want to be cast as a literal vegetable this show,” he’s saying. “Like - it was fun during the big salad scene last year but like then my mom was sending Christmas cards with pictures of me dressed as a radish to our relatives, you know? And I’m like - over it.”

“Oh for sure.”

“Maybe I'll be one of the swans," Connor keeps saying. "That would be cool. I like swans. And it'll be rad to work with you some more Mitch. Cuz you’re totally gonna get Odette.”

Mitch stops trying to activate his x-ray vision and looks over at Brownie. “You think?”

“Psh,” Connor says. “Of course.”

“Because Zaitsev’s Russian so like - I feel like they might cast him,” Mitch says. It is all modesty. The very idea of Auston and Zee expressing passionate love is laughable. Mitchell's goddamn middle name is Odette.

“Nah,” Connor’s saying but Mitch is not listening. Babs has finally put it up. It’s there.

Finally, he thinks as he enters the fray, elbowing to get his way to the board. It’s his goddamn season. No more comic relief parts. No more standing in the parados in a nurse costume while Auston is Romeo-ing on stage. This season Mitch is gonna be on the first page of the PlayBill.

He wiggles his way next to Auston, right at the board now, and finds him grinning.

“You got the Prince?" he asks and Auston says, “Yeah and-“

He stops. Mitch looks up. Instead of Mitch’s name next to the part of Odette it says _Please see other board_.

 

CALLBACKS FOR THE ROLE OF "ODETTE" WILL COMMENCE FOLLOWING MORNING WARM-UP IN STUDIO 3:

MITCHELL MARNER

WILLIAM NYLANDER

 

“This is - Matts. I’m dying.”

“Hm?” Auston says. “Oh. It’s just a callback, Marns. I mean - you’re still gonna get it. They just need like - a second opinion.”

They’re outside Studio 3. Mitch would like to have Auston carry him into the ocean and let him die there but Auston said he wouldn’t so. Callbacks.

“Maybe it’s to check with like chemistry.”

Oh. “Oh.”

“Which like,” Auston winks and nudges his elbow into Mitch’s ribs. “We’ve got tons of that, c’mon.”

“Yes,” Mitch says. “We’re dating. Our ballet kisses will look natural.”

“So natural.”

“And that other guy? Psh.”

“So there’s nothing to worry about.”

“Hi,” a voice calls from behind them. “Is this the spot for the Odette callbacks?”

Mitch turns.

The dude in front of him is blonde and he like - he  _looks_ expensive. He's got big cheekbones and a lot of hair and he's wearing the kind of track pants that are probably like two hundred dollars and Mitch is already imagining beating him when Auston says, “Willy?”

And then the blond dude says, “Auston?”

And Auston says, “You’re not in like - Europe.”

And blond dude says, “Uh, yeah no kidding,”

And then Kyle Dubas says, “Hey guys,” with his big Kyle Dubas grin, “It's been such a whirlwind, huh? We weren't sure we were going to be able to bring you other here, Will! What a treat!"

"Thanks Kyle," he says, eyes still darting to Auston.

Mitch has astral projected. He doesn’t think he’ll be able to make full sentences for a week, maybe. He is barely able to make coherent thoughts. All he knows is that like Auston looks like he's seen a ghost and Willy is too hot for comfort.

Kyle is talking about the process and the nature of dance and chemistry and then he says, “We’ll see you offset our lead, Auston, here!”

“Hngh,” Auston says, quietly.

“Can I grab you real quick, Will?” Kyle asks. “Then you and Mitch can start your callbacks.”

“Of course,” Willy says and they go through the door for Studio 3.

As soon as the door closes behind them Mitch says “What the fuck Matthews.”

“Okay so uhhhh-“

“How the hell do you know Swedish Blondy Pants?”

“You remember how you called me drunk that one time to tell me you wanted us to kiss,” Auston says, hurriedly, staring at the spot where Willy used to be. "And it was like super romantic-"

“I need this story twelve times faster.”  

“When you called I was like in a taxi leaving the airport because I was getting back from uhhhh a trip-“

“Sixteen times faster.”

“Prague!” Auston says fast and loud. “I was at that dance conference in Prague and you were here and you and I weren’t together yet.”

“Oh god.”

“We just hooked up once,” Auston says. And then, “Okay so once like in the nighttime and then in the morning before my flight. But that’s it.”

There are several things that Mitch would like to say. The only thing that he manages to get out is, “Natural kisses," faintly before Kyle is opening the door with another smile.

 

FINAL CAST LIST FOR "SWAN LAKE"

PRINCE SIEGFRIED - AUSTON MATTHEWS

ODETTE - WILLIAM NYLANDER

UNDERSTUDY FOR ODETTE - MITCHELL MARNER

 

"I feel like you're mad at me."

"Me?" Mitch says. "I'm not mad."

"Mitch," Auston says. "You're literally in the backseat."

Well okay so yes. Yes maybe Mitch is not thrilled. And maybe that has translated into sitting in the backseat instead of in the front seat where humans usually sit when they're carpooling with their boyfriend.

But his boyfriend slept with some perfect Swedish ballet god and didn't think it worth mentioning so fuck him.

"I've never been mad. I don't even know how to be mad."

"I feel like an Uber driver."

"Sucks to suck," Mitch says. He looks out the window intently even though all he can see is the car parking garage.

 

So there are several problems with Willy:

  1. He is very handsome. He has eyes that are even bluer than Mitch's which should be illegal. His laugh is dumb and charming. He also has eyebrows that he must get professionally done. Also his bod is rocking.
  2. He can dance. Mitch is a good dancer. Mitch is a professional fucking ballerina. But Willy has edges like he's never seen and when he was dancing with Auston it was like they could read each other's minds.
  3. He is European.
  4. He somehow knows everyone even though he's been at their company for eight minutes. Hyms and him went to school together maybe??? Kappy on the lighting board seems to like literally live with him??? Maybe??? Mitch still has investigating to go.



 

"So Auston," Willy crows the next morning as they're all stretching on the bar. "How have things been since Prague?"

He stretches Prague out for like six syllables. His thighs are the same size as Mitch's torso. Mitch would like to kill him, a little.

"Uhh." Auston says. He is sleepy because he spent the night on the couch in the living room. "Good."

"Do you still have that fucking awful red button-down shirt?" Willy asks and his smile is all flirty. Too flirty. How dare he. "Or did you burn it like I told you to?"

Auston lets out a laugh and then looks back at his leg. "That's a great shirt. I like that shirt."

"It's hideous. I almost threw it out the window while you were sleeping."

He laughs, again, and then Wily's turning into him.

"So how did it work out," Willy says, "with that guy you told me about? The one you were trying to get over?"

It's like the sun goes out on Auston's face and he like remembers who he is and where he is and that Mitch is four feet away from him. He makes eye contact with Mitch and says, "Uhhhh good."

"It definitely worked out," Mitch says. Willy turns his big blue cow eyes on him. "Really worked out. We're dating. Hardcore dating."

"Oh," Willy says. And then: "Awkward."

 

Willy comes over to him later, when Auston's getting positioned by Babs.

"I just wanted to say sorry," he says. "For earlier. I didn't know."

Mitch hmphs.

Willy looks at him for longer, like he's waiting for Mitch to do something other than hmph, and then looks back over at Babs. He has lashes for fucking days. Fuck this guy for being so hot.  But it's fine because Mitch is going to take the high road. He's not going to say anything. He's not going to show off the fact that he's like dying and-

"I just find it funny how," he says, "you like, aren't in the company, and now you're playing the lead. Like. I just find that funny."

"Kyle called me last week to see my availability," Willy says. "We worked together in Barcelona a couple seasons ago."

"Did you sleep with him too?" Mitch mumbles but maybe he doesn't mumble quiet enough because Willy's saying, "Excuse me?" and then Babs is all, "Willy get over here!" and Willy's leaving, eyes sharp at Mitch like he's going to beat him up later.

Whoops.

 

Lunch is - lunch is fine.

Willy's sitting with Kappy off lights and Zach the stage manager and he keeps throwing back his head to laugh this big ridiculous laugh. Mitch keeps one eye on him even as he spoons pad thai into his mouth.

"My calves already hurt," Auston says, mouth full of food. "You?"

Mitch grumbles. Auston, who is generally not an idiot, doesn't push it and looks back to his curry.

There's an opening then - Kappy's up with his plate and moves toward the garbage and Mitch pounces. He sleuths and slithers his way right next to Kappy, does a quick electric slide so they're side by side.

"Hey," he says.

Kappy looks up, blinks, and says, "Sup, Mitch?"

"Haha, yeah," Mitch says. There's only a minute or so until lunch is over. "So uhhhhh how do you know the new guy?"

Kappy blinks again and, real slow, "Willy and I go way back."

"What does that mean?"

"It means Willy and I go way back," Kappy says.

Mitch squints at him. Kappy picks at the back of his teeth with his tongue. "So when you say way back," Mitch starts when it's clear he could do this for hours, "do you mean like when you were kids or-"

"Willy and I used to live together," he says, "in London. Before the Moscow ballet wanted him and I got the call from Dubas."

"Oh," Mitch says.

Mitch studied ballet in Toronto and then graduated from ballet in Toronto and then got a job doing ballet in Toronto. His eyes wander back over to Willy, who's laughing at something Zach's saying. It must be kind of glamorous, to move around so much.

Pretty lonely too.

"You good?" Kappy asks, already stepping away.

"Mmmhmmmm," Mitch says.

 

"Hey," Mitch says. They are back at the bar. Mitch's pad thai churns gently in his stomach. Babs is waving his arms around at the swans. "I just wanted to apologize. For uhhhhh being less than chill. Earlier. When I said some uhhhhh not chill things."

Willy keeps looking straight ahead at the swans. He has perfect posture, his back a straight line over the curve of his right leg. Mitch like - okay he _gets_ it.

"Soooooo," he says. "Do you, like, accept my apology?"

"Lemme get this straight," Willy says, "you want me to forgive you for implying that I slept with the head of our company and for being a dick to me since I got here?"

Mitch feels his face go sideways.

"And you did all that because I hooked up with someone who, by the way, you weren't dating at the time?" Willy takes his leg off the bar and turns his back on Mitch. "Thanks but no thanks."

Well, fine. If Willy doesn't want to accept his apology then fuck him.

 

"Aha!"

Auston makes a noise like a scuba diver emerging from the depths and spasms awake. To be fair to him it is about two-forty-five in the morning.

"Fire?" he asks all husky and asleep.

"Calgary!" Mitch shouts, shoving his phone in Auston's face.

Auston closes his eyes and swats it away, "What the fuck Mitchell. What about Calgary?"

"That smarmy handsome horrible hot Swede isn't even Swedish!" Mitch says. He brings his phone back and scrolls through Willy's wikipedia page. "He was born in Calgary!"

"Jesus," Auston says, dramatically, flopping back into the pillows, "Christ."

"A phony."

"Uh huh."

"He's a big phony."

Auston turns away from him, arms going around one of the pillows they were just supposed to use for decoration. "Go to sleep, Mitchell."

Mitch snuggles in tight to Auston's back. Calgary, heh, what a fraud.

 

"What I like," Babs says, standing at the front of their group with his hands on his hips. "Is hard work. Hard work gets you far in life. Hard work gets our story across. It gets our message across. You don't get a five star review from the Globe and Mail without hard work."

Mitch pointedly stares at the wall. Next to him, Dermott gulps audibly.

"So," Babs continues. "We'll start with the swans."

Mitch and Willy stand off to the side as Babs and the other choreographers get the swans into position. Connor keeps blinking, holding his arms out in that way people have when they're being mentored by Mike Babcock.

"This is new."

The voice is Willy's, hushed so that it doesn't reach the ears of God and Babs. He's sidled up next to Auston, rising up to pointe and back down, his hand on Auston's forearm.

"Oh," Auston says like a dumb jock in a movie. "Yeah, I uhhh got into the tats this year."

"Did it hurt?" Willy asks, his eyelashes doing this fluttery thing and oh. Okay. Mitch understands what's happening here. He narrows his eyes at Willy's stupid muscly back.

Auston honest to god squares his shoulders. "Heh. Not too bad."

"You didn't have any in Prague, right?" Willy says, looking back to make eye contact with Mitch. Son of a gun. "I would have remembered."

"Heh," Auston says again.

"Congrats on the Prince role," and god his fucking smile is sooooo charming Mitch wants to push him off a building. "You deserve it."

"Thanks."

"Not sure if you can lift me though," Will says and Auston's like laughing all -

"I can lift you."

"Oh yeah?"  
  
"Just wait until-" and then Auston's eyes meet Mitch's and then he's shutting the fuck up and staring forward, like the dumbass he is. He clears his throat and says, "Hmmmm that's uhhh some good choreography."

"You absolute dumbass," Mitch says. "You abs-"

"Marner!" Babs shouts. "You want to listen up?"

Which, yeah, that's the kind of luck Mitch's been having lately.

 

They rehearse the first meeting between the Prince and Odette just before Babs calls the day and it's - okay it's shaky. They're just learning the choreography, stumbles and awkward stepping for Auston and Willy. The rest of them are sitting and watching and Mitch is feeling like twelve different emotions.

So they stumble stumble stumble and then it's like - there's a moment. And even the part of Mitch that has legally changed his name to Odette like - he gets it. He gets why Willy beat him.

Because Babs is yelling and pointing and they're both stumbling around but there's a moment, right, where Willy's up on his toes and Auston's hand is just holding his elbow and their noses are an inch apart. And then Willy's eyes dip down to Auston's mouth before he's pulling away and -

From next to him Brownie literally whispers, "Oh wow," like fuck off Brownie but - but Mitch gets it.

 

Auston's waiting for him at their parking spot, keys in hand. He drops a kiss to Mitch's cheek and says, "Kappy invited us over for drinks, babe. You wanna?"

Mitch imagines the evening: Kappy with his slow blink and Willy with his dumb stupid smile slowly eroding any modicum of patience and chill Mitch has left in his body. It seems like a supremely uncool night for anyone named Mitchell Marner.

"Or," he says, "we could stay in."

Brows together, Auston says, "did you have something in mind? I just feel like we've been staying in a lot. It could be fun to go out."

Mitch is a cool boyfriend. Mitch does not get jealous. Mitch is not the kind of person who doesn't want to get drunk and beat everyone at Smash Bros on a Tuesday.

"It could be fun to stay in."

"You're being weird," Auston says. He opens his mouth like he wants to say more but a lightbulb goes off in Mitch's brain before he lets out a noise.

"Babe," he says. "It could be fuuuun to stay in. Just you and me. Having fuuuuun. You picking up what I'm putting down?"

Auston isn't and then Auston is. "Oooh."

"You wanna?"

"Of course I wanna," Auston says, sidestepping to open the door for Mitch. "Who needs Kappy's lukewarm beer anyhow."

 

"Sorry," Mitch says, getting way too close into Willy's personal space. "Just stretching."

He makes sure to pop his neck so Willy can see the bluish bruise on his neck from all the sexy times he and Auston got up to.

"No worries," Willy says, smile sharp.

"Did you go to Kappy's thing?" Mitch asks. He keeps stretching his neck. It's beginning to hurt, to be honest.

"Yeah. It was fun."

"Aus and I missed it. We were a little busy. If you know what I mean." He raises his eyebrows with significance.

"Yeah," Willy says, "I mean, been there, you know?"

Mitch glares. Willy glares right back.

 

The week continues on in this thread.

 

It's little battles they win:

Mitch gets Auston one of those weird horrible bandanas he likes and he wears it to practice all proud and dumb. It makes his ridiculous forehead look even more ridiculous but he keeps saying, 'Thanks babe' and Mitch gets to smirk over at Willy.

But then literally an hour later Willy spills water all over his leotard and the only thing he can find in his bag are these skimpy shorts that leave exactly nothing to the imagination and Auston's too busy staring at his thighs to notice Mitch's attempts at more workplace romance.

So Mitch starts telling Auston every twenty minutes how hot he looks even when he doesn't look hot.

And then Willy's using Auston's arm to hold steady as he re-ties his shoes and says "You're so strong" in this breathy voice.

So obviously Mitch has to kiss Auston's big dumb mouth after some blocking and then Willy's asking if Auston remembers the song that was playing in the club when they met and -

Fuck Kyle Dubas and ballet and the entire universe, basically, but damn if Mitch isn't gonna win this thing.

 

It extra super sucks because Mitch's main role in the company right now is to just like - be next to Willy every second. Babs will go through the choreography and then Willy does it and Mitch does it. He has to follow Willy's perfect steps and every time he misses one his stomach goes all heavy.

"Alright," Babs says, standing with his hands on his hips. "Let's try the lift."

Auston's hands are big on Willy's waist as they lift him up, up, in a slow circle. It's just blocking so Willy's hands are on Auston's shoulders, his eyes downcast as Auston lowers him back down.

"Hold on," Babs says. "Do it again."

Mitch bites his lip purple as he watches it again - Willy's pointe, the way his left leg comes back before Auston's hands are back on his waist and up up -

"Again," Babs says, squinting.

So they do it again. Again and again until Willy's breath is loud enough for Mitch to hear and Auston's arms are shaking as he holds him up. It's the fifteenth time when it changes, when Auston brings Willy an inch too close and he slides down Auston's body like it's Dirty Dancing-

"That's it, boys," Babs is saying. "Like, that, come on."

Mitch holds his breath, watching. It's magnetic, the break in form, how Auston's arms slide around Willy's back as they turn in slow motion. The intimacy of their gaze, the tilt of Willy's chin meticulously positioned by Babcock. Their mouths whisper against each other before Willy's spinning away, a chase, a second out of reach.

It's - okay. Mitch is man enough to admit that it's fucking hot. It's like - Mitch is always feeling forty five things around Willy Nylander but right now anger is chilling in the back with jealousy and the entire front seat is taken up by horny.

 

It is two-seventeen in the morning and Mitch's google history looks a little not great:

_william nylander_

_william nylander insta_

_william nylander family_

_william nylabder thighs_

_william nylander nutcracker_

_william nylander moscow ballet_

_willm nylabdr royal ballet school_

_william nylander single_

 

Mitch gets forty-three minutes of sleep. He wakes up still clutching his phone and it's so so hot in his hands and it's maybe still open on a picture of Willy and his brother somewhere in Sweden. It's a nice photo. It makes Mitch's blood boil and also makes him want to like hold Willy's face in his hands.

"I get it," he whispers at Auston's face, mouth slack and wet with drool in sleep, "I understand why you slept with him."

Auston snorts so loud Mitch almost startles out of bed.

 

So Mitch has maybe revised his list about Willy:

  1. He is handsome but never so much as when he is surrounded by the approximately twelve thousand little girls he calls sisters.
  2. His rendition of the Nutcracker in the Royal Ballet School's 2012 performance of _The Nutcracker_ literally brought Mitch to tears at three-eighteen in the morning while his log of a boyfriend snored next to him.
  3. He can chill with the workout pictures on Instagram. Like - they're a lot.
  4. Mitch is jealous of Willy. Mitch is jealous of Auston. Mitch is feeling a lot of things.



 

The next morning at practice is. Well, it's something.

Like Willy is still in Fuck Mitch Mode so he starts twirling his hair around and giggling at Auston's jokes and Auston goes starry eyed like the big dumb jock. But Mitch just watches and kinda smiles whenever Willy looks over.

It's getting closer and closer to the run so they have costume fitting in the afternoon. The costume room is bright and messy and run by two kick-ass designers with pins in their mouths and pens in their hair.

They leave Willy and Mitch alone on stools while they search through their cupboards for more lace trim and Mitch steps daintily into his opportunity.

"Hey," he says. "I want to apologize, again, for what I said to you at the beginning of the season. That was super uncool."

Willy looks over. His eyes are the size of the moon. They make Mitch want to do very stupid things.

"Really," he says, "Sorry."

"I'm sorry too," Willy says after a second, "for flirting with Matty just to mess with you."

"It's okay," Mitch says. "It's fun to flirt with Matty."

Willy grins and oh dang. Aw shit, no wonder Auston goes all tongue tied when this happens to him. "It is fun. He's a really nice guy. You're lucky to have found each other."

"Uh huh," Mitch says. He looks at the reflection they make in the mirror. "We make pretty cool swans."

"I agree," Willy says. "We're hot swans."

"Smoking hot."

Willy giggles. It is the best noise in the entire world. Mitch wants to hear it against his sternum and also against Auston's mouth and in bed on Sunday mornings before breakfast.  

 

"So," Mitch says in the middle of The Bachelorette, "You and Willy."

"Jesus," Auston says. He slumps down a foot. "Listen. Mitch. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't tell you about him. But it's like - I couldn't exactly predict this exact scenario."

"No I mean like -" Mitch takes a second. How exactly does he even begin this. "What did you guys do."

In for a penny, in for a pound or whatever.

Auston's eyes flash amber in the dim lighting of their apartment. "What do you mean what did we do?"

"I mean like," Mitch's mouth has gone dry very suddenly. "Like. When you guys were in Prague or whatever like - What did you _do_?"

"I….you mean for breakfast?"

Mitch pushes himself up and into Auston's lap, knocking a bag of Veggie Stix onto the floor. Oh well. Auston's hands go to his thighs and his eyes go to Mitch's mouth and okay, yes, here we go.

"I mean," Mitch says, low in Auston's ear, "What did you guys do?"

He feels Auston's eyelashes against his cheek and then - "He kissed me in the club. While we were dancing."

Auston's hands are sliding their way up. "What then?"

"I brought him back to my hotel room," he says. "Um. How much exactly do you want to know?"

"Auston."

"Just checking." His mouth goes to Mitch's ear, gets the skin damp. "He likes having his hair pulled. Um. He's got a filthy mouth and he likes to kiss like - like even when I was uhhh you know. Fucking him. He was still like. He wouldn't stop kissing me."

This is the hottest moment of Mitchell's life. It's ridiculous and horrible and Auston's mouth is perfect on his. Mitch groans like he's in a porno. He doesn't care.

"What is happening right now?" Auston asks, breathless, "I am so confused."

"Confused?" Mitch asks, sliding his hand down Auston's stomach toward his belt.

"Mostly I'm into it," Auston says which, yeah, Mitch can tell. "Super into it. Don't stop."

 

The next morning over breakfast Auston's looking at him like he's waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"So," he says. He's been stirring his little pot of yogurt, blueberries, and granola together for six minutes. "You, uhh, were really into like. Me and Willy. Last night. And I just wanted to uhhhh. Check. That you're still into me and Willy like. This morning."

"I am still into you and Willy this morning," Mitch says.

"Oh."

"I'm also into you and me," Mitch says.

"Oh." Auston blinks. "Rad."

"And me and Willy," Mitch says. "So."

"Cool."

"Are you into that?" Mitch asks. He doesn't want to like, push his ideas onto Auston or ruin what they have cultivated over the last year or like jeopardize their rel-

"Fucking yes," Auston says over his internal monologue and oh. Nice.

 

So here's the thing with Willy:

  1. He has the funniest laugh and it makes Auston smile and it makes Mitch feel like he's floating.
  2. He really loves his family and Kappy and Hyms and Matty and Mitch, once Mitch apologized. He's a bit of a dumb jock because they're all dumb jocks but he's all mushy underneath like a golden roasted marshmallow. He's exactly Mitch's type.
  3. He's such a good fucking dancer.
  4. Mitch wants to kiss him so so so badly.



 

They're two weeks away from opening and only just now blocking the final scene because Kyle doesn't really know where he wants it to go yet.

"We've got the storm," Babs keeps saying, "And Odette and the Prince. What more do you need?"

So Auston and Willy keep trying things. They're done the whole Odette dies thing and the whole Siegfried dies and then the Siegfried and Odette die thing which is just a trainwreck. Then Kyle thinks maybe they can pull off the happy ending but it looks too Hallmark, Willy and Auston and their smiles against each other.

Willy crouches down as the swan while Auston steps around and around him and that looks sort of good so Babs calls for fifteen while scribbling on his iPad.

"Toilet," Willy says, stepping away from Auston and out the room.

Mitch sends Auston a wink and follows Willy out. He doesn't need to pee so he hops up onto the counter and waits him out, counts the drip of the leaking sink next to him.

"Oh hey," Willy says when he appears from the stall. He runs his hands under the tap, rubs them with soap, "Does Babs need us back in there?"

"Not yet," Mitch says and okay. He's doing this.

He jumps down from the counter and stands as close to Willy as he dares. They're about the same height and from this close Mitch can see where Willy's nose goes pink at the end, can smell the clean scent of his deodorant.

"Mitch?" Willy says, quiet, and Mitch is kissing him.

It's warm, Willy's mouth, warm and wet and soft. He makes a noise like a whisper against Mitch's skin before his fingers are reaching out to brush against the cotton of Mitch's shirt over his stomach.

"We like you," Mitch says, heavy, "We want to date you."

"I-" Willy is looking at Mitch's mouth. "I'm confused. You're dating Auston."

"Yeah."

"But you just kissed me."

"Well," Mitch says, "I mean, we want to date you."

"We?"

"Auston and I," Mitch says. "We want to kiss you. And date you. But kiss you first. And also like maybe live together forever and stuff. But like. Whatever you want."

"Oh," Willy says and then he's smiling so wide it takes up his whole face.

Mitch kisses him before he can say another word.

 

So Odette stays a swan and Siegfried cries for an eternity which is not ideal.

But Mitch gets to be on the front page of the PlayBill and Babs calls him a hard worker and the morning after their opening night he wakes up to Willy's laughter pressed against his neck and Auston's arms around him so.

Could be worse.

**Author's Note:**

> this is entirely the fault of G & AS but you're welcome to yell at me [here](http://butternutstyles.tumblr.com)


End file.
